Go Multidimensional with PivotTables

A PivotTable is an analysis tool that offers a great deal of flexibility for viewing summary data from different perspectives. You can think of a PivotTable as an expandable summary because it neatly tucks information away to be viewed by expanding your selection. For example, if you view summary information by the year, you can drill down to expand any year to see its details. The capability to “pivot” the perspective of your table by transposing rows and columns gives the PivotTable its name.

PivotTables give new meaning to the term interactive, which refers to the capability of users to enter data or commands in programs, as opposed to just viewing data. Tables and forms are interactive to a certain extent. You can sort, filter, and modify data with tables and forms. PivotTables allow users to quickly summarize or cross-tabulate large amounts of data. If you want to rotate rows and columns interactively (on the fly), use PivotTables.